Fall lawn chores for beautiful spring lawns

The first hint of a cool breeze reminded me that fall, my absolute favorite season, is on the way. Each year, I eagerly away the feel of crispness in the air, the smell of smoke from our chimneys and the sight of bright hues of falling leaves and roadside wildflowers. From a gardening perspective, this is the time of year that I feel like I can once again get ahead of the weeds, bugs and other problems brought on by late summer.

Many of our landscape plants are beginning their shift toward dormancy. Our warm season turfgrasses — Bermuda, zoysia, centipede and St. Augustine — are no different. While mowing will begin to slow with the change of the seasons, there are a couple of important tasks that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Pre-emergence herbicides: The period from the start of September through mid-October is the optimal time to apply pre-emergence herbicides to control winter annual weeds. While it does take practice to plan ahead several months, it will be well worth the effort. Herbicide applications now will prevent the growth of many weeds that are problematic during winter, such as henbit, chickweed, and annual bluegrass.

While trade names will vary depending on the store, products with the active ingredients such as benefin and pendimethalin are safe to use on all of the warm season grasses. Products containing atrazine control a wide range of broad leaf weeds, but are only recommended for use on centipede and St. Augustine grasses. If you know what weeds were prevalent last winter, contact your local county extension office for additional herbicide recommendations.

Lawn disease: While lawn diseases, such as large patch and take all root rot, are most evident in the summer when everything is green and actively growing, October will be the optimum time to apply a fungicide treatment. Consider contacting the local county extension office for directions on collecting a sample for diagnosis. The sample will either be processed in house or submitted to the University of Georgia Plant Pathology Lab for a nominal fee.

Fungicides are best applied in a preventative way (before a problem overtakes large sections of the lawn) as soil temperatures drop to 55 degrees to 65 degrees. Look for products containing chemicals such as azoxystrobin or thiophanate methyl. Additionally, an important point to remember with turf disease is that they are typically tied to cultural problems. Even if the fungicides offer some respite, the underlying issues must be addressed. Check for things like overwatering, excessive thatch, improper pH and fertility levels and improper mow height.

Pesticide labeling: Regardless of the chemical tools that are used, it is imperative that you read and follow the labels. These guidelines are not merely suggestions, they are the law. They are put in place to protect you, your lawn and the environment.

Upcoming Events

Master Gardeners of Central Georgia Fall Garden Plant Sale: Noon-5 p.m. Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at the State Farmers Market, 2055 Eisenhower Pkwy. Master Gardeners will also be available to answer gardening questions and assist with selection. Free admission and parking. For more information, visit www.mgcg.org or call 478-751-6338.

Having a Successful Calf Crop: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Sept. 19; UGA specialists will talk about nutrition, body condition scoring, calf health, and dystocia; contact the Jones County Extension Office at 478-986-3958 for more information.

This story was originally published September 5, 2017 at 8:53 PM with the headline "Fall lawn chores for beautiful spring lawns."